1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a sterilizing apparatus utilizing an ultrasonic vibration for sterilizing fingers, hands, medical tools, tableware, food, etc., and particularly a sterilizing apparatus having a vibrator member which causes an antiseptic solution to be atomized by ultrasonic vibration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional sterilizing apparatus has a sterilizing room in a housing which is open to the front of the housing. Above the sterilizing room is disposed a nozzle from which a pressurized antiseptic solution is jetted downward so that the user extends his/her hands to the sterilizing room through the front opening to have his hands or fingers sprayed with the antiseptic solution.
One such conventional sterilizing apparatus is disclosed in Japanese published utility patent application, No. 60-7089, published Mar. 8, 1985.
However, such a conventional sterilizing apparatus involves an undesirable jetting sound as the antiseptic solution exits from the nozzle. Furthermore, since the spray angle is even about the vertical center axis of the nozzle, the antiseptic solution is sprayed downwardly in a conical form. A conically formed spray zone is not proper because the hands are normally placed side by side by the user under the nozzle, thereby occupying a laterally extended zone. Thus, the hands or fingers tend to be sterilized unevenly. In addition, the maximum spray angle by a conventional jet-type sterilizer is only about 70.degree.. Therefore, the nozzle has to be installed upwardly sufficiently apart from the object to be sterilized, thereby causing the overall size of the apparatus to be increased. The jetted solution tends to splash out of the sterilizing room and it may reach the clothes or other parts of the user. A substantial quantity of the antiseptic solution is thus wasted. Further, the mechanism of a conventional sterilizing apparatus employing a nozzle is complex because the pressurized antiseptic solution has to be depressurized by a depressurizing device or a solution recovery device after the use of the apparatus in order to avoid dripping of the solution from the nozzle. Another problem pertaining to a nozzle-employed jet-type sterilizer is that any additive or impurities contained in the solution tend to cause the nozzle to be clogged, because the diameter of the nozzle is normally only 0.2 to 0.3 mm. Therefore, the nozzle has to be frequently cleaned. For example, a small quantity of glycerin is normally added to an ordinary antiseptic solution, such as a mixture of ethanol and distilled water, in order to prevent human skin from roughening, but the glycerin often causes the nozzle to be clogged.